Discovery may boost pancreatic cancer treatment

A new discovery about the way in which pancreatic cancer cells are fuelled could improve the efficacy of chemotherapy for the disease.

Researchers at the University of Manchester's Cancer Research Centre found that cancerous cells have their own specialised energy supply that is able to keep calcium levels low and allow them to continue thriving.

The team used tumour cells and examined the effects of blocking the two energy sources in turn; first the mitochondria and then the process of glycolysis.

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Blocking the mitochondrial metabolism had no effect, but preventing glycolysis inhibited the cells' calcium pumps, causing a toxic calcium overload and eventually killing them.

Writing in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, lead author Dr Jason Bruce said: 'Designing drugs to cut off this supply to the calcium pumps might be an effective strategy for selectively killing cancer cells while sparing normal cells within the pancreas.'

Almost 9,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK.

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